Man Arrested for Allegedly Slashing Roommate’s Face with Razor Blade

WATSONVILLE — A 24-year-old man suspected of slashing his male roommate’s head and face with a razor blade during an argument Saturday night in Watsonville was arrested after trying to flee, police said Sunday.

Watsonville police responded at about 9:45 a.m. Saturday to a report of a stabbing in the area of Main Street and Pennsylvania Drive. Officers found the victim and several witnesses to the crime, police Sgt. Eric Montalbo said.

The victim, a 40-year-old man, had a serious laceration to his head and was quickly transported to Watsonville Community Hospital for treatment, Montalbo said.

The assault on the victim happened in the 300 block of Pennsylvania Drive about a block from where police located him and witnesses reported that the stabbing suspect had fled toward Main Street, police said.

The victim and suspect were roommates and during a verbal dispute, the suspect allegedly pulled out a razor blade and slashed the victim’s face and head, producing life-threatening injuries, Montalbo said.

Officers soon located the suspect, Matthew Lee Hendrix, walking in front of a Ross department store on Main Street and detained him.

Witnesses identified Hendrix as the person who injured the man, according to Montalbo.

Police arrested and booked Hendrix on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and felony mayhem due to the severity of the victim’s facial wounds, he said.